Impatience, the Down Fall of Fools
by Adaryn
Summary: Waiting is a hard task, especially for the halfdemon InuYasha. But what he doesn't know, while waiting for the return of Kagome, that she is waiting too in a different way. How impatience gets the better of people. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The sun was setting on the horizon as a cool breeze sent the musky aromas of dusk dancing over the valley and into the small village that lay in its wake. A bundle of sturdy, straw roofed huts clustered together made up the little slice of civilization. They all looked typically similar, their foundations created many years before and still as sturdy. The only one that held a little uniqueness was dedicated to being a sacred shrine but again, the walls were as old as the village itself and the simple look of it was not lost so much on this building. Surrounded by rice fields and some farm land, it did not look like much but it was home to the people who inhabited it.

As the shadows began to gather, the face of the sun hiding behind the rolling mountains, the people began to take shelter in there homes. Mothers began shooing their youngsters as well as some of the more elderly inhabitants inside while the men of the village sat around little fires and discussed the harvest. It was a typical day's end.

An elderly eye watched the last of the sun's rays fade. It was a peaceful habit that she had picked up in her many years of living and often needed the time to draw together her ragged thoughts. She stood on the hill just outside the last row of houses, hands folded behind her aged and slumping back and her leg set apart to balance herself. While inhaling deeply, taking in the deliciousness of the approaching night, she remembered that her custom had been given company.

"It is a beautiful night, don't you think?"

When a reply was not heard from her companion, the elder sighed and let a smile pull at the corners of her wrinkled lips. Always the same, she thought amusedly as she glanced at the young man next to her. His moods were so predictable, it was not hard to see their comings. He had settled into a silent, distracted irritation as he had followed her to her refuge and was no doubt thinking about the girl.

"Give her time," the elder said quietly, her voice carrying concealed amusement. "She will come back when she's ready."

"She sure likes to take her sweet time though," he replied gruffly, arms folded securely over his chest as they had been for the last three days. "I don't see why she has to go home at all. There's a shard out there still and with her going home all the time, we're never going to find it. And who knows where Naraku is or what his incarnations are up to…"

"She has the right to freedom just as you do," the elder retorted, her voice taking on a more defensive tone. "You cannot ask her to stay when she is clearly not ready to…"

The young man stiffened at the comment but did not respond immediately. This was the sensitive subject he had been trying to avoid in conversation since trust had first blossomed between the pair.

"She also has been given a task and it will never be finished if she keeps leaving like this," the young man said eventually, interrupting the old woman's thoughts. "The world as we know it is in jeopardy and all she can think about is her stupid work-at-home."

"Studies are at the base of learning and evolving…"

"But there won't be any point to it if there's no world left to learn about! How important do you think studies will really be then, Kaede?"

The elder sighed and shook her head, letting her rising temper fall away. In all her years of living, no one had ever questioned her like this. But then again, who was she to question one young man's affection? Even if it was like no other affection that was normally expressed? No matter that he wouldn't admit to it, the elder could see right through his façade for she had seen the same distant adoration towards her own sister just fifty years ago. They both knew it was there, deep within him, even if only one was confident that it existed.

"Give her time InuYasha," she said, forcing a smile to return to her aged features. "She will return."

The young man before her snorted and turned from her, his sharp, yellow eyes once again scanning the road that led to the Bone Eater's well. The light breeze, the one that had brought dusk to the noses of the village, now brought the smell of night and played in the shinning, white hair of the young man. His ears switched forward, sideways and backward to pick up the sounds that surrounded him, surely listening for the return of the girl, Kagome.

Kaede watched him for a moment, taking in the ridged-ness of his posture.

"Anything else you want to bother me about, old woman," he grunted, glaring over his shoulder at her.

"Goodnight InuYasha," Kaede replied after letting out another sigh. He gave her a swift nod in response and returned his gaze once more to the winding trail.

'He's the very face of impatience,' she thought absently as she turned away, allowing him to keep her refuge. 'He hasn't changed in that respect. Hasn't changed in fifty years and I doubt he ever will…'

_Author's Note: It's been a while since I looked at this story so I've decided to clean it up a bit and continue. I hope you enjoy the changes and I'll post a new note at the end of them when I've finished the chapter. Please R&R! _


	2. Chapter 2

'What does she know, the old hag is half-dead anyways.'

It had been nearly three hours since Kaede had retreated into her hut but the half demon still stood on the hill where she'd left him, his temper slowly heating as the night went on. The stars above watched him carefully, like millions of tiny guardians keeping an eye on their unruly charge. They knew him better than anyone alive, having watched his progress through life. They had watched him grow and strengthen, knowing his every thought and feeling, watched him be thrown into the seemingly endless pools of love and then of betrayal and, of course, his growing reckless urges to jump feet first into danger without a hint of fear. Though they may have seemed to be impassive to this young man, the stars had watched him constantly and never let him feel completely alone.

With a half grunt, half sigh, InuYasha let his arms fall to his sides and peeled his gaze away from the road. She wasn't coming tonight. Again. Just like last night, and the night before…

"Damn it," InuYasha cursed quietly and looked up to the watching faces above. "Why are you staying away, Kagome?"

No reply came back to him, not that he expected one of course, but there was a chance that she could have heard him. It had happened before, albeit the need for contact was far greater than this. Or at least…

No, this time was different. She had been stuck there, and now she just refused to return. He couldn't understand her reasoning, if there was any, though he had been trying to guess at it ever since the day she left.

'I'll be back in a few hours,' she had said. She had promised. But a few hours came and went, as well as many, many more.

With one last glance at the road, InuYasha shook his head and leaped angrily into the tree above him. He landed gingerly on one of the higher branches and leaned against the ancient trunk. Sliding down, he sat on the branch and pulled his legs into the meditative position. The last things he did before letting his weary eyes finally close were taking his sword, the Tetsusaiga, pulling it against his chest protectively and muttering one last oath.

"If you're not here by sundown tomorrow Kagome, I'm coming for you, whether you like it or not."

(---)

Under a sky of different stars sat the very girl that plagued the mind of InuYasha. She had heard his voice, her body jerking from the suddenness as it intruded her thoughts, but did not answer. Her lips trembled as she fought back a response and to keep her silence. The skin beneath her lower lip was a angry red as her teeth bit into it again to hold her mouth shut.

Her hand was wrapped tightly around the empty glass phial that used to hold the shards, knowing that she could return to the feudal era at any moment but refusing to move. She had packed her bag two days ago filled it with her school books, some cloths, her first aid kit, her bow and arrows as well as about fifteen packages of the cup-of-noodles and five bags of potato chips. It was all the things InuYasha favored.

A smile tugged at the corners of Kagome's lips as memories flooded her restless mind. Like the first time InuYasha had tried the noodles. He was so fascinated by it…for the first two seconds and then he wolfed the whole thing down as quickly as he possibly could.

A small giggle cut through the stillness of the night. Kagome's eyes widened, realizing that she had made the noise. What if InuYasha had heard it? What if he came looking for her tonight?

Kagome shook her head violently and mentally cursed herself.

'I should go inside,' she thought urgently. 'He won't hear me in there.'

But the truth of it was, she didn't feel safe in there. Yes it was her home and no one would dare enter the home that belonged to a sacred shrine but no matter how many times Kagome told herself this, the more frightened she seemed to become. Her bed had lost its comfortable feel and the shadows that pooled in the corners of her room terrified her more than any demon. The sacred tree was the only place she found solace as well as being the only place that her mind was quieted slightly. She had curled up at base of it in the same position for the last two nights, this being her third, and had slept there until the first rays of the sun woke her just in time to sneak back into the house. She had managed to avoid a lecture so far and planned to keep it that way.

Her gaze moved from the weathered leaf at her side to the shrine not far away. Her bag sat just inside the front door, ready and waiting. The well called to her, reminding Kagome of the world that awaited her on the other side. But she refused to listen, yet another fear that had been formed when she arrived home. This one was different though and wasn't a fear per-say, more like second-guessing gone to the extreme.

Before Kagome had left the feudal era, she had run into Kikyou. The priestess had told her many things that made Kagome's mind go into overdrive and caused her to basically rethink her total existence.

(-_Flashback-)_

"_Kagome."_

_With her one leg already swung into the well, the sudden voice had almost made her fall over before she was ready. Turning, she saw Kikyou, the priestess of whom Kagome herself was said to be the reincarnation._

"_Kikyou?" Kagome asked hesitantly, alarmed that the priestess' presence. "But you died…InuYasha looked for you…How? Why?"_

_The words tumbled out of her before she could get control. Her limbs were suddenly weak and her breath was labored as Kikyou approached. It wasn't possible, her mind argued, Kikyou is dead, this isn't real…_

"_How much longer do you think you will be able to go between our worlds?"_

"_Well, I…" The question had caught Kagome off guard. Of all the things she thought Kikyou would say if she were still alive, that had not been it. But, the fact still remained, she wasn't supposed to be alive or saying anything! She was dead! There was no way she could have survived!_

"_How much longer do you think InuYasha will be able to protect you?"_

"_I.." Kagome felt her mind turning into a grey paste as her thoughts became muddled that deciphering one from the next was near impossible. The sight of the priestess stopped all progressive thinking so quickly that the wheels within her mind moaned grinded to a halt. _

"_Do you honestly believe that your presence here is not affecting this world? The way of life? InuYasha himself?"_

_Kagome's mouth hung open in awe. What had she done to bring on this attack? She watched in silent trepidation as Kikyou walked towards her, a look of disgust so apparent on her face that Kagome felt fear tightly wrapping itself like a blanket around her chest._

"_I have warned you before but this is the last time. You do not belong here Kagome. Think about that as you return home. Maybe this time it will sink in."_

_(-End of Flashback-)_

Kagome had lost her balance before the priestess had reached her, causing her to fall back into the well and her own time. Kikyou's words had echoed in Kagome's mind like a broken record, her voice recycling over and over again. She had thought so much about what the priestess had said that she was beginning to believe it herself. How much longer was she going to be able to travel between the feudal era and her own time? Once the last jewel shard was found and Naraku was defeated, what would be the point of her going back? And how long would InuYasha stand by her? What if he thought the way Kikyou did and was beginning to believe that Kagome really didn't belong? Did she even belong in the first place?

Tears stung the corners of Kagome's eyes, pooling there and threatening to fall.

"Oh InuYasha," she cried as silently as she could. It did not take long for a storm of quiet tears to fall, break the night's silence completely and blocking out InuYasha's last oath.

_Author's Note: And this one is redone. I think I might come back to it though, not terribly pleased with it. Please let me know what you think…_


	3. Chapter 3

**__**

Chapter Three

The sun rose early the next morning, it's rays just as warm and inviting as the morning before, and brought the promise of another glorious spring day. The fresh dew glistened in the sunlight, making everything shine like it was the first day of all living. A thin layer of it rested over InuYasha, the tiny droplets pooling in the folds of his kimono and dusted throughout his hair. Despite the weapon he held against his chest, the look of complete peace, tranquility and overall innocence of him was enough to leave someone awe struck.

This look was broken however as he moved, first grunting in his sleep and starting awake so fast he almost fell from his tree branch.

"Kagome," he said breathlessly. His eyes scanned his surroundings, searching for the girl but finding nothing but bark and leaves. He frowned and settled back against the trunk, closing his eyes to re-steady his sense of awareness.

He had been dreaming but it had seemed so real. She had been sitting against the tree in her yard, the one that looked like the Tree of Ages from his time. He had seen it only a few times before, when he had travelled to her time through the well, but recognized it instantly.

At the base of it, Kagome was curled up and looking almost unconscious. This proved untrue when she moved, looking up at him, or so he thought because he could not see anything behind him. He tried to call her name, to call her stupid for just sitting there, to say something, but his lips were stuck fast and no sound came out. She just watched for a moment, her eyes becoming dark and…sad.

InuYasha tried to fight against whatever bonds were holding him. He couldn't move. He couldn't talk. He couldn't reach out to comfort Kagome.

"Oh InuYasha," she whispered before dipping her head once more and letting tears stream down her cheeks. It was then that InuYasha had woken.

"Just like before," he muttered, remembering the similarities between this dream and the two nights earlier. This was the only time however where Kagome had completely broken down. Before she had just sat there, staring at the ground, unmoving.

Opening his eyes, InuYasha moved his gaze to the road which was now being bathed in light. The shadows where being pushed back, revealing everything that they had been hiding within their depths. Everything looked anew and it made something within InuYasha snap.

"Why aren't you here," he demanded, clenching his fists around the Tetsusaiga. "WHY!"

The tree shook around him and a flock of birds took flight. InuYasha growled at them and leapt from his perch, hitting the ground running. Someone called his name but he paid no heed, focusing wholly on getting to the well. The rice fields flew past him as he ran, his anger and desperation growing with every step. Dodging trees, he sped through the forest .

'I can't wait any longer,' his mind told him, his reason lost long ago. The words gave him fuel to gain more speed. 'She better have a good explanation for…'

As the well came into view, InuYasha came to a dead halt. His feet stopped, his body relaxed, and confusion replaced his anger. Have an explanation for what? What did she need to explain?

It dawned on him. It was so simple. He nearly struck himself for his blindness.

"She doesn't want to come back," he whispered to himself. His body had suddenly gone cold, almost like someone had filled him with icy water. "She doesn't want to come back to me."

The reason he thought to be gone suddenly returned, trying to force its way back into his thinking. 'It had only been three days. She would came back with time. Just like Kaede said,' it pleaded. But it was no use, InuYasha's shock overpowering every thought.

He took a step forward, attempting to pursue her. If he could only track her down, find out what was wrong, why she was crying. Maybe…

No.

InuYasha shook his head and stepped back again. His head fell into his chest and his hand let loose the Tetsusaiga, dropping it to the soft grass. He could feel his heart sinking with every passing moment, becoming so painful that one of his hands flew up to clutch his chest. What was this ache? He remembered it from once before, when Kikyou…

Another wave of shock washed over him and his gaze shot back up at the well before darting towards the woods. Betrayal flooded through him once again.

"No," he whispered. "Not again."

Kikyou. The sacred tree. Kagome. The well. They abandoned him both.

Scooping up his sword, InuYasha darted from the clearing leaving both the well, the tree and a dark, unseen figure behind. They watched him flee, stepping into the light only after he was gone.

"She doesn't belong here InuYasha," Kikyou said quietly. "She's better off in her own world. You will see that in the end."

Author's Note: Well, here's another chapter. I hope you like it because I'm actually really enjoying writing it. Thank you so much for your reviews. They mean a lot to me. Please keep R&Ring:)


	4. Chapter 4

**__**

Chapter Four

"Where are we going InuYasha?"

"To find more jewel shards."

"But without Kagome…"

"We'll find them without her! We don't need her help! You got that?"

Shippo quivered in InuYasha's shadow, his small frame comparable to a leaf caught in the wind. Standing over the young fox demon, InuYasha was breathing heavily and brandished his fists, his stance a menacing one. Shippo, his paws still burning from stopping so suddenly, quivered and threw his tiny hands over his head, shrinking into a defensive ball.

'Oh no! Not again!' he mentally whined, expecting a strong blow to come down on his head at any moment.

The sun was out and shinning brightly as ever, warming everything it touched. The rays sent a comforting ripple through Shippo's fur and skin beneath his clothing. Carefully, Shippo opened one eye and then the other before frowning in confusion. The shadow that had chilled him (along with the angered temper of InuYasha), had slid off him and let the sun spread its fall-ish mood. InuYasha's feet, which Shippo had been prepared to still be only a finger's breadth from his nose, were now walking away from him and leaving the fox unscathed.

"What the…" Shippo muttered, straightening up and tilted his head to the side.

"He must be really mad about Kagome's absence," whispered Miroku cautiously as he walked up beside Shippo, watching the retreating half demon thoughtfully.

"You guys gunna stand there and talk all day or are we going to go find the jewel shards?" InuYasha barked over his shoulder, not stopping to see if his companions were following. Though his form was straight and ridged, InuYasha felt a tendril of betrayal begin to snake through him again. With effort he forced it back down, smothering its life and focused his thoughts back on retrieving the scattered jewel shards.

Miroku, Sango and Shippo looked to each other for answers but were all met with blank looks. Each chewing on their own morsel of confusion, they silently followed InuYasha out of the village.

(---)

Dawn had not come that morning, the brooding skies abandoning Kagome in the yard under the sacred tree. It was typical fall weather and normally a blessing from the summer's heat but not to the reincarnated priestess.

"Kagome!"

With a start, Kagome woke from her fitful dreams, her eyes flying open to see her mother standing over her. Mrs. Higurashi had her arms crossed tightly over her chest and was tapping the toes of her right shoe very loudly against the cement as she stared down at her daughter. The normally extremely nice woman was now the very picture of strictness and had the you're-in-big-trouble-now look in her eyes.

"How long have you been out here?" she asked immediately before firing another question much the same at Kagome before she had a chance to reply. And then another, and another, and another…It went on for a good ten minutes where it was all questions and not waiting for answers, covering all things from "did you think this through?" to "what would have happened if you went missing?"

Kagome sat quietly and took the worried harassment from her mother while letting a dried leaf crumble in her fingers. The last question that Mr. Higurashi asked, however, made something inside her snap.

"What if InuYasha came looking for you?"

It made the blood in Kagome's veins boil, burning as it coursed though her body. Words, hateful words bubbled in the back of her throat and threatened to spill like vomit out of her mouth. She tried to fight them off, trying to substitute other words for the ones that wanted to escape. It only partially worked.

"He wouldn't care!" she screamed, jumping to her and coming to eye level with her mother. "He would probably sniff around a little to make _you_ happy then turn around and go back to his time. He would probably be happy I was gone!"

Mrs. Higurashi stared in awe at her red faced, teary-eyed daughter as she breathed heavily before her. She had never known Kagome to be the type to have these sort of outbursts in her presence. Yes, there were the odd arguments with her brother Souta but even those were contained and could be settled with only a few careful words.

"He wouldn't…" Mrs. Higurashi tried but couldn't get the rest of her comment out. Kagome didn't let her.

"Yes he would," Kagome hissed, balling her hands into fists while letting the trapped words flow freely. "He's probably off finding the jewel shards, glad to be rid of me for good!"

"You don't know that…"

"You don't either."

That made Mrs. Higurashi's mouth snap shut, shock overriding her instinct to comfort.

"Have you talked to him…" she asked gently after a long pause.

"What's the point?" Kagome grumbled, turning away from her mother and starring at the ground.

"You won't know for sure if you don't."

Kagome's mouth opened and closed, then opened again and closed again, making her look like a fish out of water. She didn't have a come back for that because, truthfully, she really wasn't sure. Her mother was right, as usual.

Her gaze wandered unwillingly to the shrine and the memories she had tried to bottle came crashing back like waves on a beach. InuYasha's laugh flitted through her mind like a sweet melody, making her heart swell slightly with a familiar warmth. It was soon followed by his smile, the one she had only seen on a few occasions, that felt like it had been saved for her and her alone.

'Come on home Kagome,' the InuYasha in her mind whispered, extending a hand to her in welcome.

Tears stung Kagome's eyes fiercely despite her efforts to keep them at bay. Returning her line of vision to her mother, she saw a knowing look replace the strict one that had been there before.

"You do what you need to do Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi said, the corners of her lips curving into a small grin. "We will always be here, this will always be your home but he won't wait for you forever."

Without another word, Kagome's mother pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her for a protective moment, before backing away and walking back inside the house. Kagome watched her silently, her mind taking a few blurred seconds to process what her mother had just said. For the second time in five minutes, Mrs. Higurashi had left Kagome speechless and reconsidering her course of action.

A slight breeze blew through the leaves of the sacred tree, making them rattle and sway above Kagome's head like a crowd cheering her on. It was the last thing Kagome needed, the last push, that made her bolt towards the shrine. Her legs ached instantly from the lack of use and the cramped position she had been keeping herself in at night but that did not stop her. She shoved the sliding doors open so hard that they let out a loud groan as their old, wood frames hit the stoppers.

The bright, yellow pack lay just inside the door, right where Kagome had left it. She stared at it for a moment after slamming the doors shut again.

"I'm coming home InuYasha," she said after a pause and gingerly slung the pack over her shoulder. "I just hope I'm not to late."

Author's Note: So this chapter took a while to get up, mainly because I've been suffering a insanely huge writer's block that had been keeping me company for the last week. I think I've gotten it to turn corner and shuffle away for now but this chapter was kind of rough and didn't flow as easily as the others. I hope you all enjoy it still and don't think that I've turned into a horrible writer because of this. Please R&R!


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